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Town of Clinton Council members talk affordable housing with its own residents, and those of neighboring Clinton Township. From left are Councilwoman Rielly Karsh, Councilman Marty Pendergast, Councilwoman Beth Sosidka, Mayor Janice Kovach, Attorney Richard Cushing, Councilwoman Sherry Dineen, and Councilman Robert Smith.

What brought a mix of residents from Clinton Town and Township, is the location of the proposed Alton Place 140-unit development on 16 acres in the township, adjacent to the Beaverbrook development in the town.

Town of Clinton Council members talk affordable housing with its own residents, and those of neighboring Clinton Township. From left are Councilwoman Rielly Karsh, Councilman Marty Pendergast, Councilwoman Beth Sosidka, Mayor Janice Kovach, Attorney Richard Cushing, Councilwoman Sherry Dineen, and Councilman Robert Smith.

Clinton Township folks attend Clinton affordable housing meeting

Town of Clinton Council members talk affordable housing with its own residents, and those of neighboring Clinton Township. From left are Councilwoman Rielly Karsh, Councilman Marty Pendergast, Councilwoman Beth Sosidka, Mayor Janice Kovach, Attorney Richard Cushing, Councilwoman Sherry Dineen, and Councilman Robert Smith.

Photo by Claire R. Knapp

What brought a mix of residents from Clinton Town and Township, is the location of the proposed Alton Place 140-unit development on 16 acres in the township, adjacent to the Beaverbrook development in the town.

Town of Clinton Council members talk affordable housing with its own residents, and those of neighboring Clinton Township. From left are Councilwoman Rielly Karsh, Councilman Marty Pendergast, Councilwoman Beth Sosidka, Mayor Janice Kovach, Attorney Richard Cushing, Councilwoman Sherry Dineen, and Councilman Robert Smith.

CLINTON – A large crowd filled the Clinton Fire Department’s meeting room on Tuesday, Aug. 29, for a meeting of the Town Council, but a visitor might have been confused as to which Clinton, town or township, they were attending.

The issue drawing so much attention was discussion of the proposed Alton Place affordable housing project in Clinton Township, on their southern border with the Town of Clinton.

Anticipating a crowd too large for the small council chambers in town hall, the change of venue was in order. However, the 70 or more people who came to the meeting were an interesting mix of residents from both the town and the neighboring township of the same name.

“We are limited with what we can do because it is a Clinton Township matter,” said Mayor Janice Kovach.

Kovach told the crowd the Town Council could and would make a few recommendations to Clinton Township officials, such as encouraging a 50 foot buffer instead of 40, as well as the planting of trees that would provide an 85 percent opacity screening within five years. But she said that is all the Town Council can do. The township has to make its own decisions.

What brought such a mix of residents from both the town and township, is the location of the proposed Alton Place 140-unit development on just over 16 acres in the township, adjacent to the Beaverbrook Condominium development in the town. The township has introduced an ordinance amending the current zoning to allow the high-density development as part of their court approved and state mandated affordable housing plan. Alton Place will include a 20 percent affordable housing set aside, resulting in 28 affordable residential units and 112 market value residential units.

The Kerwin Savage Partnership have offered to purchase the property from owner Mary Kaylor, subject to obtaining approval of a conceptual plan previously filed. The township’s ordinance, for which a public hearing has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the Clinton Township Public Safety Building’s third floor meeting room, Route 31 North. Notice of the public hearing had been mailed to all property owners within 200 feet of the subject property, thus bringing so many residents of both municipalities to last week’s Town Council meeting.

Kovach said she had reached out to Clinton Township officials, inviting them to come, but they had declined.

“We look forward to a full discussion of the project on Sept. 12,” said Clinton Township Mayor John Higgins the next day. “The planners and attorney will be present as well as the full council.”

Higgins had, however, provided Kovach with information on the Alton Place plan that she was able to impart to those present at the meeting.

The 16.17 acre lot includes the current owner’s home, which Kaylor intends to keep by subdividing a portion. Another 2.34 acres will not be developed due to water protection buffers to the north while Beaverbrook owns 1.1 acres to the south, which is 50 feet wide between the lot and Country Club Drive, providing good buffers to the north and south.

“At 140 units the density is 8.6 acres based on gross area, or 10.1 acres based on developable area,” Higgins said in his memo to Kovach.

Higgins offered as a comparable that Beaverbook consists of 189 units by tax roll count, with a density of nine acres based on gross lot area or, excluding the clubhouse area, a density of 9.5 units per acre. The adjacent development in the township has a density of 6.5 units per acre.

Most of the questions raised by town residents expressed concern of the ability of the water and sewer utilities to service any new developments in the township.

Councilman Bob Smith, chair of the two utility committees, said the amount of water Clinton can draw from the ground is governed by the N. J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). If more water is needed, the NJDEP would make the decision. The town has already set aside enough capacity for total build-out of existing lots and future development within its boundaries.

Kovach said the township has its own sewage authority, which controls how the sewer capacity allotment previously purchased from the town is to be distributed within their own boundaries. The town could not be forced to expand the sewer treatment plant based solely on the needs of another community.

“Clinton comes first,” said Smith.

The usual sentiment, commonly called “NIMBY” (not in my backyard) was expressed through some public comments was a common theme. One woman, a resident of the Alton Place area, said she and her neighbors had expected the lot in question would remain undeveloped.

Nick Corcodilos, a former mayor of Clinton Township, said concerned residents should form a citizens committee and hire their own lawyer to fight the development proposal.

Kovach said the lot is privately owned, and the owner has the right to develop providing such development meets all the zoning requirements of the township. The public will be given the right to review and comment during the normal public hearing procedures held by the township’s planning board. The notices that had been distributed, resulting in so many in attendance, were to let them know the zoning is being changed by court order, due to inclusion of the affordable housing units.

Kovach and the rest of the Town Council have repeatedly blamed the state legislature for failing to resolve affordable housing issues, thereby leaving the developmental fate of New Jersey communities in the hands of the courts.

Other Business

In other matters, Marc Saluk, Hunterdon Economic Development Director, provided an update on his department’s efforts to attract tourists to the area to bolster the economy.

Jennifer Frohlick was appointed as a new crossing guard, and Eric Arnold of the Moorestown-based firm The Liquor License Company, was hired as an appraiser to establish the current value of a liquor license, should the town decide to create a new one.

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